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Gender identity, obesity, fidelity, and well, stumbling into one of your parents more intimate moments are issues that people face every day. The “Dogs have issues too” print campaign from Ireland/Davenport in Johannesburg, South Africa imagines our best friends in some of our worst nightmares with heartbreaking results.

The need for help and support through emotional and behavioral issues is not a uniquely human one. This campaign does a great job of using some uniquely human issues to bring a sense of connection to these canines that I’m sure we can all relate to on some level.

Concept-wise, it doesn’t feel like we’re being sold the same idea four times. It’s nice to see a series use repetition with such a nice amount of variation though-out. This feels like a robust little campaign.

And you can’t deny the creative on these ads is great: each is a simple scene with a perfectly subtle amount of content. I bet you had fun scanning each one to find the issue at hand. Kudos to the art directors on this one – it’s hard not to feel sympathetic for these little guys.

It isn’t obvious whether they were able to achieve the dog’s expressions naturally or through the help of some clever photoshopping (although I suspect this is the case), but either way, the heart-breaking emotion on their little dog faces is the finishing, personifying touch on these bittersweet ads.

The vampire craze is a little past due. If Audi had run this ad last year during the Trueblood, Vampire Diaries and the Twilight hype they probably could have really cashed in. Not to say this is a bad ad, I actually really enjoyed it being a vampire lover myself.

In the ad, a guy is driving an Audi to a vampire party, he let’s us know he is a vampire by flashing his fangs. There are shots of the vampires partying under the full moon, enjoying blood bags, tree climbing, playing acoustic guitars, just as all vampires do. Problems arise when the Audi driving vampire pulls up to the party with the new LCD “daylight headlights” on and all of his pals are instantly incinerated by the “daylight.”

The song “The Killing Time” by Echo & the Bunnymen was a perfect fit for this vampire themed ad. And I really liked the addition of the #solongvampires hashtag, it shows that Audi is a forward thinking company and are really “with it.”

Overall it was a good ad and Audi’s new LCD “daylight headlights” could very well be the solution to the overpopulated bloodthirsty vampires!

Christie’s Pick:

This spot had it all: a Rocky-esque montage, zippy red car, relatable hero, the American dream, and promises of summer. Oh, and our hero is a chubby dog. I was excited to explore those ideas, and then I watched it again.

As I wondered what the title “The Dog Strikes Back” was all about, it played though until the awkward commercial-in-a-commercial ending I had conveniently missed the first time around. A little research later and it appears that the chubby dog is 2012’s answer to 2011’s cute Darth Vader kid. And that barking dog YouTube video that I ignored (but everyone went nuts for on Facebook) was the teaser for it.

The story stood on its own without the self-referential Star Wars ending. If I hadn’t watched it again (and again) I would have been so much more satisfied. The teaser with dogs barking iconic music from Star Wars had some relevance to the 2011 spot, and arguably some solid pop-culture cred, but this felt as cheap as “it was all a dream…”

Whether or not we think these ads lived up to the same hype as the game still remains undecided. There’s no doubt that this advertising monster has grown to William Perry* like proportions. A whopping 84% price increase over the past 10 years. And an estimated viewership of 111 million+ fans. The cost of a 30-second spot during the game was $3.5 million, the highest price in history. With arguably as many people tuning in for the advertising as the game itself.

Sure, Clint’s raspy voice is irresistible, and this we-can-do-it spot is captivating enough to stun a room of nacho wielding, face painted fans into a quiet retrospective audience. But what’s best about this ad is simply the strategic headline. “It’s Halftime in America”. It’s a simple concept that says a lot. One line captures the grit and fatigue of a tough game, the encouragement of your coach and the motivation of knowing the game’s not over. The poignant wording enhances the spot but ultimately it’s the relatable emotional experience transposed onto a new subject that makes it so great. Simple ideas with great execution will always triumph.

Danny’s Pick:

The NFL celebrates a century of football with this visually stylish look back at the evolution of the sport and player safety. It comes on the wake of some controversy surrounding a recent rash of head injuries. It’s a stark contrast to the typical garish Super Bowl advertising of the day. Starting with the games humble beginnings in 1906, the yardage on the field reflects an exciting look at the decades past. Rightfully finishing in the end zone with a TD by the games most exciting return specialist, Devon Hester. The final line says it all “Here’s to making the next century safer and more exciting than ever”. A win in my books.

Blogging advice: Love it or leave it, a previous Copeland blog post stressed that regularity in a blog is key and in order to achieve that you must love blogging and “wholeheartedly believe in it.”

Well, I guess that puts me in the “leave it” pile. I did, however, discover something that gives me a happy medium. It’s this new thing called Pinterest.

As it turns out, I am not the only Pinterest fanatic. Apparently it’s the new “it” social media thing and is rapidly growing. So what is Pinterest? What makes Pinterest so great? And why is not just another social media sharing service?

Pinterest is an online, virtual pin board. It creates virtual links through images and videos, called ‘pins’ which can then be categorized, organized and shared on ‘pin boards’. I like to think of it as some sort of mix between a blog, Twitter and Flickr.

In today’s digital era, images and photos are far more likely to be shared than an article. There has been a significant shift in the power of visual content which makes the visual aspect of Pinterest very compelling, but that’s not the only factor that makes it so successful. Few other social networks have captured the combination of self-expression, content sharing and visual imagery in such asimplistic way. On top of that, it is another great marketing tool that engages conversation, forecasts trends and drives product sales.

And why can Pinterest work for your business?

It’s focused. Like I said, pin boards are categorized by interests and the search functionality will allow customers to find products or services they are already interested in.

On the other hand, people also love to surf Pinterest and you don’t even have to be a member to simply browse. This allows customers unintentionally stumble upon your product. Can anyone say goldmine?

The photo has a link that redirects your customer back to your site where they can purchase the product.

It a social network (duh), allowing you to engage with your customers.

There is so much room for exploration and creative marketing campaigns!

Graphic Designers (Heck, even ad agencies), this one is for you. You can showcase your portfolio on Pinterest, provide a description on the piece, the concept behind it and any other information you might want to provide. The same goes for artists and photographers.

Restaurants and bakeries, you can upload photos of your dishes. NPO’s you can share your orgainization’s story through quotes and pictures to promote your cause.

LinchPinSEO’s infographic shares some more neat ideas on Pinterest marketing so check it out.

As a marketing student, I created a pin board that focuses on advertising and is my substitute to a blog. I have already pinned some of my favourtie advertisement work. My comment below the image allows me to explain why I enjoy (or don’t enjoy) a certain advisement or marketing campaign and credit the specific agency. The comment isn’t as long as a blog post of course, but doesn’t have a word limit either. I can still write a short blurb expressing my opinion. People can comment on my pins just like they comment on a blog and can also “repin”, similar to Twitters retweet function. It is a work in process, but feel free to check out my Pin Board!

All in all, I believe that this new social media platform has huge potential and room for creative, innovative, engaging and focused marketing strategies.

This time last year I was preparing to finish my last year of design school. While most days were spent worrying about project deadlines and final presentations, I also remember being clouded by thoughts regarding what I was to do once I was forced to leave this comfy nest called art school. Where will I work? How will I get there? Where do I start?

A year later, now three weeks into my role as Art Director, I thought I’d look back at what I’ve learned since then and see if I can’t share it with the next crop of students. Having just gone into the wild – here are a few tips that worked for me and a few more I didn’t get the chance to try.

DIRECTION

Often times people would say to me “Victoria is so small that all the good design jobs are taken”. The way I see it, the smaller the town the easier it should be to stand out amongst the crowd. So before you decide to pack up and move to that neighbouring metropolis, remember: you have to ability to make a mark in your small town, too. Find out exactly what your dream job is and make it your goal. Stay optimistic and keep focused. The unfortunate reality is that as time passes your competition will slowly drop out of the race. If you manage to outlast you’ll start to move up the ladder.

GET OUT THERE

Don’t sit idle between dropping off resumes. Do something to get your work noticed. Start a design blog and post local content, re-design your school newsletter and offer to maintain it, pitch your designs to companies you admire. Take a chance and don’t be afraid to be shot down. Sure you could get rejected, and at first you probably will – but if you’re lucky you might at least gain a pro’s insight regarding your work. While these ideas might not get you paid, they’re all are great steps towards growing your portfolio with real world experience.

NETWORK

Don’t stress this one. Networking will come naturally, if you’re here reading this blog then you’re already doing it. Because most jobs aren’t advertised, networking can be your best bet to get your foot in the door. Consider a student membership to the Graphic Designers of Canada. Your local chapter has dozens of social events each year. Why not start by volunteering to check coats or take tickets at an event? These events are meant to be fun, so relax. Nobody’s there to interview you, try to have fun and enjoy yourself. Your personality should be on show, not your portfolio.

NAVIGATE

Get to know any potential employers in your area. Navigate your way through the company, introduce yourself to the staff, find out what the mood around the office is like. Now the fun part – don’t just tell potential employers that you’re creative, show them! Go a step further by customizing a package based on what you’ve learned. Put aside the typical resume. Try a website, video or DVD portfolio.

RESOURCES

Now is the perfect time to start seeking out internships, scholarships and awards. Internships are your best bet for work right now, it’s how mostly all designers start.

Check Applied Arts, Communication Arts and Adobe for student awards. They’re a great way to get regional and even worldwide recognition for your work. Another benefit of the GDC is that they’ll do much of the work for you. A student membership gives you access to up-to-date job/internship postings, scholarships and awards info.

Get yourself a website to showcase your work but keep it simple, and remember when it comes to a portfolio it’s always quality over quantity. Be sure to replace old pieces with new ones as your skills progress. And if your web skills aren’t up to snuff yet, there’s plenty of easy-to-use portfolio sites out there. Try Behance , Carbon Made or Cargo Collective.

SOCIAL MEDIA

You’d be surprised what opportunities that might arise from Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. There’s no reason why you wouldn’t want to access all three. Each one is different, so learn which to use for particular content. They’re a great way to engage with people, and give them a reason to follow you. Share unique content specific to you: your opinions, your portfolio pieces, and discussions that you’re taking part in.

Thanks for reading, I hope that helps. I’ve included my icon pack for download if you’d like them for personal use. For now you can get to know us @YourCopeland. We love students.

LostType.com is a collective comprised of graphic designers and typographers. It’s an online type foundry, but it’s a little different; here’s why:

Toronto’s Tyler Galpin and Seattle’s Riley Cran created LostType.com during what they describe as a “whirlwind 24-hour adventure to distribute a single typeface”. Since then LostType has become a widely used foundry where guest typographers contribute their craft in the form of downloadable typefaces.

Followers of the site have full choice of an ever growing quiver of up to 20 different fonts. Each typeface is built with its designer’s own inspirations in mind. Many reflect historical and geographical traits, and the majority of fonts were designed specifically for losttype.com

Each font is available for download through the site. Based on an honour system, followers are encouraged to contribute any dollar amount they feel necessary. And yes, although you can choose to put in $0 if you would like a free download, all of the proceeds from sales go directly to each font’s designer.

Graphic design intern Danny Prew has chosen a few of his favourite LostType fonts and put them to use in this illustration of Copeland’s new location at 2101 Government St. opening August 22, 2011.